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From five finalists, one winner will be selected to receive a $10,000 cash prize along with travel* and lodging to attend the Norman Mailer Center’s Annual Gala on October 4, 2012, in New York City, where the Mailer Prize and the Norman Mailer High School and College Writing Awards are also presented. The winner will also receive a fellowship to the prestigious Norman Mailer Writers Colony during the summer of 2013.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

WRITING CATEGORY: Fiction

Limit one entry per person.

Maximum 20 single-spaced pages in a plain easily readable font, such as Arial or Times New Roman, in 11 or 12 points.

May include one piece of writing.

Entry may be part of a larger piece.

Previously published writing may be submitted if the writing was published within the last 12 months.

JUDGING CRITERIA

Submissions will be read by national panels of teachers and will be judged by how well they achieve several qualities, including the artful treatment of subject matter, originality, quality of insight, voice, and style, and overall aesthetic, emotional, or intellectual effect. Stories that receive high ratings from the teacher panels will be submitted to a distinguished panel of authors selected by the Norman Mailer Center, who will choose the winning entry.

One winner and four finalists will be notified in early September, 2012. Results will be posted on the NCTE website.

*Funding for travel to the Annual Gala for the award winner is limited to coach airfare within the continental United States, Alaska, and Hawaii. Teachers who live outside the U.S. but work in American-accredited schools are eligible to enter. If the winner lives outside of the U.S., a $500.00 USD payment toward travel will be allowed. Hotel/lodging at the awards event will be covered.